The UNIV Forum is a multidisciplinary forum for permanent dialogue and a meeting point that shares a common theme, which each year. Participants have to present a paper related to the current year’s theme to a panel, which this year was held on 25 February. This year participants will be provided with information about the assessment items that have an impact on the quality of projects.
Xavier Baró, one of our professors from the Faculty of Humanities and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences, gave the closing speech during a talk entitled “Contemplating the 20th century from a distance: misery and grandeur in a period of change”. In his speech he encouraged people to reflect on how knowledge of the most immediate past can help us to build the future. Baró also provided an overview of how technology has changed from 1950 until today: “There was hardly any difference between a person from 1200 and one from 1300. However if you look at someone from 1900 and someone from 1980 the difference is huge. Time has accelerated a great deal”.
For that reason, he suggested eight areas which he encourages people to think about, because, in his words “placing all responsibility on one person is not good. The fault of the Nazi regime not only lies with Hitler, but also with the more than 33 million people who voted for him, and with the other European countries that looked the other way”. He also said “We cannot live sensibly if we don’t take into account the fact that we are playing the leading role in history, each of us have an important responsibility”.
Baró pointed out that in order to build a world that is in movement it is fundamental to try to create a society that is more just, and has no inequalities. These encourage hate and even more atrocities. The professor turned to Jaume Balmes and said “to avoid revolution, we have to ensure there is evolution. And in order to build the future it is necessary to preserve the past without any resentment”. After this closing session, the VII UNIV Forum came to an end. The panel is currently deciding which of the three winning talks will participate in the international stage of the Forum in Rome at Easter.
